The Sun. — London, England, 1838-03-13 00:00:00

STATE OF LOWER CANADA. We take from a recent number of Fraser's Magnzinc the fe lowing graphic description of the condition of the Calledians : In our Lower Canadian possessions ) whcre nature smiles on the exertions of every indivi-ittal who wilt explore her r'ches —where man is only celled on to labour to procure luxu ries—where want is unknown ;—in that lend to which the poor Irishman looks, as did the Israelites in the desert to the land of promise, why have "factious phrases" become as links of iron, to bind together the, people against their rulers, and spread desolation where hitherto there has been peace? What is the state of Lower Canada ? what is Its popula tion ? how has it been ruled ? what arc its grosances ? What was the numh,er of inhabitants in 1831, when dissenslans had become sesious!—About 511,900 souls. Were they house less ?'—The same year they had 85,437 houses, or about six people to every house. Had many of them real property ? We find that 57,891 occupied 3,991,793 ststute acres. Were there many unfortunate band-to mouth labourers employ ell as farm -servants, hanging about the families engaged In agricul ture-3 Of the latter were 50,824 ;of the feneer, 7,602. But, probably, we shall find, in our returns, a set of idle ) debauched fellows, subsisting on alms, who were ripe for agitation, battle, murder, riot, robbery, &c. &c. &c., food for powder and Papi neap. There were 1,282 persons subsisting on alms in the whole province. No unions, no poor-laws; and yet an agri cultural population rise up in arms ! Possibly, this agricultu ral population did not get so much beef, or mutton, or pork, or bread, or potatoes, as they would like ? In 1831, according to the statistical returns, there were-389,706 cattle ; 543,343 sheep ; 295,137 hogs ; and that year there wete raised in bushels, 3,208,075 of wheat; 3,153,597 of oats; 6,139,221 of potatoes; besides rye, barley, pease, India corn, and buck-wheat : there fore, famine did not stare them in the face that year, at least. Perhaps they complained of want of clothing ? Yet such could scarcely he the case, when the Government returns estimated the number of domestic looms at 13,400, whose annual pro duce was assumed to be about 1,400,000 yards of coarse cloth, 981,000 coarse flannel ; and 1,366,726 linen. Peradventure it was distress, after all, caused by sending the productions of the country out of it, without any adequate return ; as is the case in Ireland, notwithstanding what we learn from our statistical returns of sheep and cattle, and hogs and potatoes. If these articles of food are exported, as well as the floor (which, we know, comes to Liverpool, and is bonded there and elsewhere) and the natives do not eat there, where is the use of our as certaining to a bushel what quantity they amount to ? Ireland grows abundance of wheat, which is turned into English bread ; oats, that fatten English horses ; horned cattle, that become English beef ; and hogs, that take the outward form of English bacon. How is it with Lower Canada's exports and imports relatively ? For if the exports exceed the imports, et (poi bon is all they raise, if they do not consume as much? Unfortunately for certain theories, we find the imports in 1828 amounted in value to 1,665,1441. ; the exports, to 965,026/. So that the sum of 700,118/, worth of merchandise was all on the credit side. Then, unquestionably, it will be said, the Lower Canadians must want education ; and, had they been sent to school, no tldng would tempt them to undertake such an unwarrantable course as flying into open rebellion, resisting her Majesty', forces, shooting down the red-coats, and getting themselves hanged for their pains. Alas ! we are again at fault: for there are no less than seventy-eight free schools, established in different parishes throughout the Province, affording instruc tion to 3,578 children, at an annual expense to Government of 1,4951. Also, two grammar-schools : one at Quebec, the other at Montreal, each receiving, 340/. a-year from the public funds : besides 1,062 schools established under an Act of the Provincial Legisleture, which, in the year 1832, instructed no less than 48,387 scholars of both sexes : being about one-half the number of persons in the Province between the ages of five and fourteen years. And, in addition, several colleges, in connexion with the Roman Catholic Church, are existing in many parts of Lower Canada ; as well as a considerable number of private schools, in which the higher branches of education arc taught. Well, then, if the Lower Canadians have abundance of /and —as many houses as they can inhabit—plenty to eat—fuel ad libitum, for the cutting—as much warm clothing as will even set a Canadian winter at defiance—more goods coming into than going out of their storehouses, and their tracts of land starred with schools, which polish the minds, manners, and morals of more than half the little boys and girls of the province ; and as the majority of the Canadians (about five to one) are the habitans, a gay, innocent, cheerful race, prover bially happy and sweet-tempered, how is it that they, of all people on earth, should suddenly awake to a new existence, defying earth and confident of heaven, seize their rifles—cry their gathering words—rush into all the currents of a heady fight —and bring upon their devoted heads all the vengeance that outraged power can hurl at the participators in an armed rebellion ? What is the word that, deep in the woods of Ca nada, " has raised mankind to kill?" Is it religion? The Roman Catholics have their own Bishop of Quebec, whose salary of 1,000/. a-year is paid out of the rents of certain pub lic property placed apart for that purpose; while, in every part of the Province, there are abundance of places of public worship for persons seceding from the Church of England; and while in the seigneuries, where the great mass of the people are Roman Catholic, religious opinions cause no dis sensions ; and in the townships, where there is found a large number of Protestant Dissenters, or congregations in commu nion with the Church of Scotland, " persecution for the Lord's sake" is never heard of. Is freedom the word of strife ? Scarcely so, when every French Canadian is pro tested in purse and person by a fair administration of the law ; ay, and by the same law, too, which was retained after the country was conquered by the English ! Or is it vengeance? For what? Still, there must be something amiss—there must be a cause for the effect; " Some watchword for the fight, Must vindicate the wrong and warp the right." Whatever that word is, the scarcely concealed intention, th e direct aim, the u nquest i ona bl e end, is comprised in throwing off allegiance to England —self-government—establishing " la N a ti on C anna di enne. " [We should be much puzzled to account for the insurrection, after reading this description, were it not for the three lines which follow. The descendants of the immortal Wolfe have always insulted Jean Baptiste, the son of Johnny Crapaud. To govern men by honour is held cheap and effectual. In Canada we have tried how we could most cheaply, and with the least sacrifice of substantial power, provoke an insurrection. W e have given power to the Canadians aad have insulted them.] Jean Baptiste, the " habitan," is the son of Johnny Crapaud, the Frenchman whom the immortal Wolfe conquered Emmy nine years ago.—Fraser's Magazine. WEAVERS' UNION, NORWICH. (From the Ipswich Journal of March 3.) Perhaps the following charge, which was on Thursday decided by the Magistrates, H. J. Money, and N. Palmer, Esqrs., may tend to throw some light on the animus by which the Weavers' Ccmmittee are actuated. The case has excited great interest here, and is one of the most villainous that can be imagined. On the information of Mr. Samuel Fish, the Secretary of the Weavers' Committee, supported by Mr. Morston, attorney, Mr. John Clark, of the firm of Churton and Clark, manufacturers, of St. George's of Cole:ate, was sum moned before the Magistrates, and charged with paying James Harris, a weaver, in the employ of the firm, 6s. 6d. for his work in coals, and net in the lawful coin of the realm, and for which a penalty of 10/. was sought to be recovered. Harris stated that he had worked for Mr. Clarke five or six years, during which time he had always paid hint his wages in full the same price that was going in Norwich ; but at NE chaelmes last, Mr. Clarke let him have a ton of coals from the wherry of Mr. Dunn, which was then lying in the river ; the price of which was 225., and 2s. 6d. carriage; and as he ha,l usually done, he paid him Is. 6d. each time he carried home a piece. When he carried home the last he was 6s. 6d. in Mr. Clerke's debt, the whole of which Mr. Clarke, on that occasion, deducted. He then told Fish about the business, and Mr. Clarke was summoned. In his cross-examination by Mr. Staff, he said Mr. Clarke had no warehouse for coals, nor did he deal in coals. Ile did not deny that Mr. Clarke did this merely to accomodate him, because he could not raise the money himself. On other occasions he could only buy his coals by the hundred, or half hundred, at a time, et hen he paid much dearer for them. It certainly was a great accomo dation to the weavers to assist them in this way, and had Mr. Clarke only deducted the Is. 61 from the piece, instead of the whole, he should not have appeared against him. He was a member of the Weavers' Union, and paid " so much" a week ; but he did not know whether Mr, Fish was the Secre tary, or whether the Committee met at his house, or whether there was a Committee at all. He did net know who the Committee were. There were several persons at Mr. Fish's house wleen he called, but he did not knew one of them I He still had work of Mr. Clarke, and he paid him his full wages I *Mr. Dunn, the coal-merchant, was sent for, and on being sworn, stated that Harris ordered the coal of him, and that Mr. Clarke merely passed his word that the money should be paid. The price of the coals was 223. 4d., beside the carriage, but Mr. Clarke got him to deduct the 4d. for ready money. He had never seen him before the man had had the coals, nor had he (Mr. John Clarke) any advantage front whatever in them. Tho Magistrates immedia•ely declared Mr. Clarke not guilty, and ordered Fish tc pay the costs. In this it will be seen that Mr. Clarke's only object was to benefit the mon that he had in his employ, by advancing them money to buy coals at the season of the year when they are cheapest, that they might not have to purchase them in the winter, when work is scarce, and fuel exceedingly dear; and then he received it back only in small instalments when they carried in their work. Even the 4d. that he induced Mr. Dunn 'so deduct was allowed to the weavers ! But Mr. Clark bait recently offended the Weavers' Committee, and this is the return he receives for his kindness. He is a marked man. The work has been cut from his looms, nobody knows by whom ; and his house and warehouse are watched night and day to see who obtains work from him. His weavers are tampered with. Even at this time, when the general complaint is that there is no work in the city, those that he has been in the habit of employing, and would now employ, are receiving Bs. per week from the Wearers' Union, rather than they should work for Mr. Clark ; and we learn they have come to a resolution to ruin him. This is but one attempt out of many to do so. Let it be re membered too that Mr. Fish attended at the examination, and we should be glad to know at hew much per day at the ex pense of the Weavers ? There is another view which should be taken of the case. Tho Weavers' Committee, about half a year back, by representing to the rate-payers of this city that they had no o bj ect b u t w h a t was p er f ec tly justifiable—that is to save th emse l ves f rom oppress i on an d a further reduction of wages, and that their Committee was far more intelligent than those that h a d f ormerly existed—obtained many subs criptions and an increase of their funds. This appears to be the mode try which they are z , pplying them. The rate-payers. under elks! circumstances, will d ou btl ess tee t h e propr i ety of with holding them in future —their contributions will only enable thorn to do fittihe;r tnisehlef. We cannot but think such b and inPilop; attempts . (to say nothing, about the iann.ratef riss of them) call for every Rossible cttr',.l",:,n on the part of the Magistrates to p'6i thZitt down. PRIVATE BUSINESS OF PARLIA MENT.-( ith VEn'tAV.) (Fre% our gecond Edition of last night.) SLTO-COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS FOR N.), 114. M. Chi:RN in the Chair. Mr. Gain; N 1 Mated that he was requested by the '..tanditlg OrdZrs' Committee to inform the af!ev•ts, ()titers, that that Committee had made a rely r - equiring that the names of all persons opposing Bins, should be given at the back of all re, ports transtnitted to them by the Sub-Committees, and that no person shall be allowed to oppec. before them who had not previously appeared hof,:re one of the Sub-Commi.tees. Roads.—To continue termer Acts, and amend powers and raise tolls. Notices proved. Estimated expense, 1,1001. Certificate of trustees as to income put in. Unop posed. Decided Standing Orders Lot complied with, as duplicatca of plans not deposi'ed. Aberbrothwick Harbour.—Petition read for amending har bour, and transferring jurisdiction from Town Council to new Trustees. Notices proved. Estimated expense 63,5001. Income 2,103/. last year. Compensation to be made to Town Council 12.5001., exclusive of the 63,500/. The Com mittee said this is a speculation, and there ought to be a sub scription list. Considerable discussion arose on this. Un opposed. Report according to the facts. New Brunsnick and Nora Scotia Land Company.—Peti tion read reciting Charter, &c., held that no Standing- Orders apply. Twyford and Theelc Road.—Petition read for increasing powers of forming road, and levying new tolls. No notices in serted in London Gazette. Unopposed. Standing Orders not complied with as to the Lyndon Gazette. Dudley Hill and Killinghall Road.—Notices proved, esti mated expense 5,500/., 5304 lodged, unopposed, Standing Orders complied with. Kirkstall, Ilkley, and Shipley Road Notices proved, es timated expense 2,0001., 2001. lodged, unopposed, Standing Orders complied with. _ _ _ LadykillCand Norham (Tweed) Bridge.---Notices proved Estimated expense 5,9491. ; subscription contrast, 6,0001. ; half in England, and half in Scotland ; deposit 600/. ; unop posed; Standing Orders complied with. SUB-COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS (No. IL) Mr. ROBERT PALMER in the chair. Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly Drainage.—This case was gone into by adjournment, from Friday last. Tho question was, whether the petitioners for this Bill were or were not the owners of the lands sought to be drained. Into such a question, however, the Chairman declared the Committee would not go. A ♦ast deal of desultory conversation arose upon it, without furthering the business a step. The room was then cleared, after which the Chairman an nounced the decision of the Committee, that the case should be adjourned until to-morrow, at two o'clock, in order to allow time for the agent of the Marquis of Donegal to present a petition to the Committee. COMMITTEE ON BILL (MIDDLESEX LIST). Mr. PHILPOTS in the Chair. Necropolis Cemetery.—The Hon. Chairman, the Counsel, the Agents, and others connected with this Bill, were in at tendance at eleven o'clock, but after waiting until nearly half after twelve, sufficient Members could not be found to form a Committee. The Chairman therefore adjourned until Friday next at twelve o'clock. COMMITTEE ON BILL (GLOUCESTER LIST). Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway.—Mr. POI:LETT SCROPE in the Chair. Considerable delay took place, owing to the parties for and against this Bill, with their counsel, entering into a private consultation, to endeavour to settle the contested points ami cably. After a considerable time, it was agreed to refer the point in dispute to the Chairman and Mr. Philips who, if they did not agree, were to appoint a third, whose decision should be final. The Hon. CHAIRMAN announced that they could not agree to an additional clause (which had been the only point before them) as proposed by the parties for the Bill. Report to be made on Wednesday.—Adjourned until that day. ELECTION COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) (From our Second Edition of last night.) READING. The following votes were struck off by the petitioners : NV. Turner, Jeremiah Humphreys, Charles Masters, John Parsons, Stephen Taylor, Wm. Storker, Joseph Leith, and William Wiggin. And the following by the Sitting Mem bers : —Thomas Lague, Thomas Henry Trandell, Chas. Car ter, John Webster, Wm. Thorn, James Barker, John Barry, Edwin Ayre, and John Gibbs. Adjourned at four o'clock, the Sitting Members being in a majority of one. CARLOW. The Committee were engaged the whole day in hearing the arguments of Counsel with respect to the opening of the registry,_ — Mr:KEATING, who applies for the opening of it, had not concluded when it was reported that the Speaker was at prayers, and the Committee adjourned till to-morrow, when the arguments will be resumed. YOUGHAL. The vote of John Hamilton was next objected to on the part of the sating Member, on the ground that he had received a bribe of 50/. to vote for the petitioner. Ellen Rivers, the grandmother of the voter, stated that on the day of the last election a Mr. Fisher, a grocer in Youghal, in the Tory interest, called on her at her grandson's house, and told her to go over to Miss Singleton's house. She did so, ar.d in presence of S. he gave her a 30/. note, and bid her keep it safe. She put it in her bosom, and kept it until the next day, when she gave it to her grandson. She did not know for what purpose the money was given. Miss Singleton, who keeps a respectable lodging-house in Youghal, saw Fisher give the last witness a paper, and bid her keep it safe. John Sheeren, a lad aged 18, who had been reared by Miss Singleton, and adopted by her as a relative, was in bed in an apartment in her house, unwell, during the time of the elec tion, when Fisher and Hamilton came in, and the latter said he would not vote for 40/. —he must have 501.—which Fisher agreed to give. But Fisher wanted to keep the money back until after the other should have voted, as it would be perjury to take the bribery oath after having received the motley ; to which Hamilton replied, that he would kiss his nail.—( A laugh.) It was at length agreed that the money should be given to the grandmother, as stated by the other vt imsisses. The money was given immediately afterwards, in the same room, and in witness's presence. They all saw witness in the bed. Thomas Hamilton, brother of the voter, swore that the lat. tc r told hi n he got 50/. for his vote, which was of more use to him than either party could be, for they all worked for themselves.--( A laugh.) Mr. PoeLocK then said it would be useless for him, after the evidence, to detain the Committee by defending the vote. The vote was struck off, and the parties thereby again placed on a level. The vote of Fisher was then objected to, on the ground that he had been the briber in the last case ; but the Chairman stated that the Committee, having again considered the ques tion, had come to the resolution that this class of objections should not again be gone into. The vote of Robert Davies was objected to by the sitting Member's Counsel on the ground of discontinued occupancy. For the objection it was shown that the voter was allowed to remain on the registry as the occupier of a public-house which had been for more than six months before the election in the occupatir n of a woman named Pye, who took out the licence prior to the election, and whose name was then over the door. To support the vote, Roger Green Davis was called, but his evidence was objected to by Mr. Andrews, because he had subscribed to a fund for defraying the expenses of the petition, and thereby made himself in some degree a party with the petitioners, and an incompetent witness. To this Mr. Pollock replied, that Davis could have no pecuniary interest in the re sult of the petition, and cited several cases to show, that the interest which Davis bad taken in the cause of the petitioners did not disqualify hi m as a w i tness , t h oug h i t m i g h t a ff ec t his credibility in the judgment of the Committee. Tho objection was overruled, and the Committee adjourned. The Carlisle Patriot deplores the loss of three Tory votes, as consequent on the dissolution of the Countess of Lonedale. The snow storm, which had been with ua so long, has at length broken up, and the present week has been com paratively spring -like. The Derbyshire hills—or East Moors as they are called, are however, still, in some parts, seamed with snow.—She f field Mercury. SMUGGLING.—On Friday last a Dagenham con stable, named Page, passed a horse and cart on - the road near the Marshes; and observing the vehicle MB covered over with tarpaulin, and that three men were attending upon it whose appearance was of a very questionable description, he applied to Aris, the police horse patrol of the district for assistance, and communicated to him his suspicions that the chaise-cart contained stolen sheep. The officers mountefl two good steeds and went in pursuit of the party. On passing a stac k_ yard, near Barking, they saw certain appearances which left no doubt on their minds that a cart had been backed to wards the field ; but on questioning some labourers who were cutting hay, they denied all knowledge of any horse and cart having passed in that direction. The constable and patrol, however, being certain that they were on the right scent, left a trustworthy person in the stack-yard, and con tinued the pursuit. They eventually came up with the horse and cart near the Duke's Head at Ilford. The cart was empty, and the parties met with in the first instance by the Dagenham constable had made their escape on the approach of Aria and Pari ' e. Af ter securing the horse and cart, the officers returned to the stack-yard, in which they found 30 tuis of brandy with slings attached for more easy removal on men's backs. The tuba were immediately put under seizure, and on Saturday were removed to the Queen's ware-house at the Custom-house. The brandy is the best Cognac, 50 above proof, and valued at upwards of 2001. On the cart was a board on which was painted " Messrs. Boorman and Co., market gardeners and fruiterers, Middlesex." No such persons as " Messrs. Boorman and Co." can be found, and the horse and cart have been condemned by the Customs, and disposed of for the benefit of the Crocsn. THE SUN, LONDON, TIDE DA Y, MARCII 13, 1838 , IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, 111Aecn . 12. The LORD CLIANCELLOR took big sot qti tlib ITOOMCK at Q 0 14 , , , CAt • Earl Grey, Lord Audley, Lord Falmouth, Lord Vaux, and the Marquis of Tweedalc, took the oaths and their seats. Earl ST AN HOPN rcaented peiltien (Wit Vie real(' tint seatx (real *here). ' praying for the immediate'immediate'And total iepeal of thn Poor-Law Amendment Act. The petitionata !hayed foa this beanuse they ciaiisidefed, it tileY statad in the p6tition, Chit the Act was despotic, unjust, and cruel in its constitution. Lord RADNOR begged to remind the Noble Earl that he was bound to prove every word of the petition, Earl STANHOPE said that the patitiOners were at liberty to state their opinion of the Act, and that he him self should be ready to prove that every tine Of tha allegations in the p e tition INA strictly true. The next petition he had to present was from the inhabitants of Glastonbury to the same effect, and in the same words. The next was from Wirn. burn to the same effect, Lod 13R0 UGH Aal presented a petition from Great Yarmouth and the places adjacent praying for the immedate abolition of negro slavery. Also petitions from Ilallaton in Cumberland ; the Congregation of a Presbyterian Chapel at Bolton le-Moor ; the Mayor, Aldermen, and Council of Wigan, in Council assem bled ; the Congregation of Primitive Methodists at Horse forth near Leeds; the Congregation of Wesleyan Metho. dist;, and the Congregation of Baptists in the same place ; the Society of Friends meeting i n, Macclesfield; a place in Caermarthen ; the congregation of Ebenezer Chapel, in Dewsbury ; the congregation of Pro testant Dissenters, in Pudsey ; the inhabitants of Waraham ; the inhabitants of Annandale ; the Relief 'Congregation of Kilmar nock, and a place in Cumberland, to the same effect. Also a peti tion from C. Green, of Essex-Street, Strand, attorney-at-law, praying for the revisal of the law of debtor and creditor. A petition from Jcdborough against further endowments to the Church of Scotland from whatever public fund, par ticularly specifying the Consolidated Funds and the Bishops teinds. A petition from the United Secession Pres byterian congregations of Stirling and Falkirk, and f rom one or two other places, to the same effect. The Noble and Learned Lord stated that the next petition he had to present was from Preston, agreed to at a public meet ing, and signed by upwards of 5,000 persons. The petitioners strenagly urged their Lordships to protect them in what they called their right of associating to gether for the protection of their labour ; and praying for mercy to the Glasgow Cotton Spinners, who had been sentenced to be transported, as they conceived, unjustly. The Noble and Learned Lord would repeat now what ho had over and over again said, that he agreed in the prayer of this petition, but totally dissented from every one of the rea sons which the worthy, and industrious, and meritorious persons who now petitioned their Lordships had in their mis take of the fact put upon record. They styled the Glasgow Cotton-spinners who had been ordered to be transported the virtuous Cotton- spinners.—( Hear, hear.) His opinion was, that virtuous was a word now inapplicable to those persons, however virtuous their former character might have been, because they had been found guilty, by a jury of their country, of a moat reprehensible mis demeanour. He was decidedly of opinion that the work ing men had a right to combine against their masters to keep up the price of their labour—that was their right, it might be their duty ; but he was equally clear that they had no right to menace or use threats or.violence against others. The Noble and Learned Lord then presented petitions against any further grant to the Church of Scotland, from Kilmarnock, Hutchinson Towi,lGlasgow, the Congregation in Regent's place, Glasgow, and Lauricston, Glasgow ; from Stewarton, the East Relief Congregation ; from Haddington ; from the United Secession Presbytery of Edinburgh, and fa om the United Secession congregation of Cumbernauld. Lord PO LTIaIORE presented a petition from Edinburgh praying for a reduction of the rate of postage. The Earl of DEVON presented a petition from an indi vidual named Thomas Hall, a prisoner confined in White eross-street prison, praying for the abolition of imprisonment for debt. The Marquis of SLIGO presented petitions from Armagh and other places praying for the abolition of Negro Appren ticeship. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a copy of the Circular which had been sent up respecting the disbanding of the Yeomanry Cavalry. Mr. BERNAL and others, from the Commons, brought up Reports of the Poor-law Committee of the present session. The Bishop of EXETER had a very important petition to present, to which he requested their Lordships' particular at tention, not only because of its importance, but also because the subject was of a very delicate nature. It was from the Guar dians of Dudley Union Poorhouse, and played for protection from the extraordinary powers of the Poor-law Commissioners, and praying also that all Boards of Guardians might be at liberty to provide for the poor according to their own discretion. The events out of which the petition arose were these :--sometime ago a dietary table was appointed for the Dudley Union, which from the first gave groat dissatisfaction to many of the petitioners—they well knowing that from the nature of the employment around Dudley, it was impossible that those who were compelled at times to resort to the workhouse, in consequence of a cessa tion of employment, would be able to renew their em ployment after having been dieted according to the table. soon afterwards these Guardians heard of the London Union diet table, and at once adopted it. They annonnced this to ' the Commissioners, who perhaps properly checked and re ' primauded them, at the same time telling them that the Lon don table had been allowed for only a short time, and under particular circumstances. The Guardians, however, from their local knowledge, being aware that the diet table sent by the Commissioners was not a proper sup port for the inmates of their workhouse, persevered in givin g their paupers according to the diet allowed in the city of " London workhouses. In answer the Commissioners told them that the master and matron of the workhouse had no right to act in disobedience to their orders, even though they had those of the Guardians, and that such measures would be taken against them that oven though they pleaded the orders of the Guardians it would be to no effect. That of course called for some strong remarks on the part of the Guardians. So far from the fact being that there were circumstances in the London district which required a more liberal dietary for th e workhouses, the fact was that the inmates of the workhouse at Dudley were persons who had been from their youth in ured to hard labour at the forge or in the mine, aed accustomed to the substantial diet which was calculated to keep up their strength in such employments. The Guardians, therefore, thought it their duty to God, and to their fel. low-men, not to relax in their exertions, until they obtained for the able-bodied in the workhouse the necessary allowance of food. Since the time to which the petition referred, an assistant Commissioner had been sent down, and something had been done, but not to the satisfaction of the Guardians. He then read the dietary prescribed for Dudley by the Commissioners, and he called upoa them to bear in mind that it was intended for men who ought to be kept in a sound state of body to resume their laborious work. Three days of the week those able-bodied men were allowed twenty-one ounces of bread per day, three and a half ounces of cheese, and a pint and a half of gruel. On one other day the dietary was twenty ounces of bread, an ounce and a half of cheese, a pint and a half of soup, the same quantity of gruel. Two other days, five ounces of good meat, 14 ounces of bread, and a pint and a half of gruel. He begged their Lordships to compare that dietary with the one prescribed for the London Union. He read the details of the latter through which we could not distinctly follow him, but he said . that there was an adequate allow ance of meat, soup, brAd, beer, rice, milk, and puddings. He had thought it his duty before he mentioned this case to their Lordships to give notice of his intention to the Commis sioners, and also to consult one of the first physicians in the country who had been accustomed to attend the largest hospitals. That physician said, that the dietary at Dudley was not sufficient to maintain able-bodied men, nor to keep them in a condition to resume their work, but it was cal culated to break down their health, and bring on disease, nor did he think it proper to exclude persona of that class from the use of beer. Ile considered the dietary of the London Union sufficient, but not more. Lord BROUGHAM—Name. The BISHOP of EXETER had no reason to suppose the physician would object to give his name, but for the present the Right Rev. Prelate preferred to make the statement upon hie own responsibility. He contrasted the dietary of St. George's Hospital, with the two which he had just read. To the con valescent there was an allowance daily of six ounces of meat roasted with potatoes or other vegetables, gruel or milk for supper, twelve ounces of bread, and a pint of porter. Now the Guardians of the Dudley Union implored the Legislature to make such an alteration in the law as would enable them to do their duty to God and man, by giving to the inmates of the workhouse a sufficient dietary, Lord BROUGHAM, as the person who introduced the Bill into that House, thought it necessary to say a few words. He did not complain either of the petitioners or of the Right Reverend Prelate. He would not enter into a discussion of the subject on that occasion, but he would be ready to meet the Right Rev. Prelate or the Noble Earl oppo site, whenever the question came regularly before the House. He now only entered his protest against the measures being condemned upon such statements as the present. He pledged himself to demonstrate that there was no one power conferred on any of the authorities since the statute of Elizabeth which did not exist before, with this material dif. ference, that before these powers existed, and were exercised irresponsibly, unsatisfactorily, uncertainly, and in the dark,— ( Hear, hear.) Lord MELBOURNE thanked the Noble Lord who had just sat down for the temperate manner in which he had brought forward the subject. lie understood the case on the part of the Poor Law Commissioners to be, that the dietary was determined on by the Board of Guardians on con sideration of those dietaries being submitted to them, That dietary was adopted and acted upon until it appeared it was desired to be adopted by the Dudley Board of Guardians. To this the Commissioners objected,because this dietary was tempo rary. The paupers were notyet under the direction of the Com missioners, as the dietary was only temporarily enforced. It was not intended to be followed, and was thought by the Commis sioners to be too great, and had not received their sanction, or approbation. This was the simple case. He did not know that the opinion of medical men was always the best, for this was the dietary of persons in health, and medical men were more conversant with persons who were sick. The best test was the test of experience—that experience by which large bodies of men were found to be kept in full health and strength. As a full opportunity would offer of discussing the subject, he would not trouble the House with any more ob servations. The Earl of WINCH ILSE A, having given his support to the 811, weific i t trotible the Notice fi4 He thought the dietary ought to be entirely under the eoi - itrel 8f the Guardians—( Hear, hear)—and that the Commiisioners ilsetild not interkire. 4Oriie deeided illteration must also take bla"isol' ]Hear., In tbrne placei no relief was given unless a person went into the house, and this was very inconvenient in many vi ne of urgent necessity. Ditrinc: the lose frnst a great porti9n of the laboluing population in Rent was throWn out of Mid 1151 tit* their Bwit labour to stibsist on, and it was therefore impossible thtfi &Mid do Wittiout il relief ; and under such circum stances he deemed it a hard ease id cOrtipiil ftotteN lab?urere to sell their goods to go into the workhouse. —( Hear, nesi . e? He did think it was hard, indeed, to compel every man to go i:itti the workhoote, especially, for instance, in the case of an industrious than siho vrdS ti , rtip;Srdrily rediteed not by any mis ctuidttet of his, but troth the that Of tilt ifeathef, Of some casual circumstance. It might be said that such a roan might have a loam but it was out of the question to offer a poor man with perhaps ton childeeit a loan because at lid time could he make more by his lahouf thin !would be Pit sufficient to support himself and his family. (hear, hear.) He (the Noble Earl) considered that the Guardians ought to have a discretion as to the diet, and that they ought to have the power of giving out-door relief. Lord R ADNOR could not agree to either of the pro positions of the Noble Earl. The question of out-door relief was not before the House upon the present pe tition, but the dietary was —( Hear, hear, hear.) The object had been to have a uniform dietary by every Board of Guardians, but if the dietary was to be left to the discretion of each Board, why then uniformity would be impossible. It was to be observed that it was not the paupers who complained of the dietary—they were satisfied with it, but it was the Guar el,ans, in a speculative mood, who thought proper to complain of it, and who wished to have the law altered in this respect. 'He (the Earl of Radnor) had been able to procure a state ment of the ordinary diet of labourers out of the workhouse, and to contrast that with the workhouse diet. Now, he found that a family out of the workhouse subsisted on 111 ounces during the same period in which by the workhouse diet they would receive 137 ounces. He knew also of another case in which there had been a difference in favour of the workhouse diet of 311 b. llioc of solid food. But the parties who com plained were not paupers ; no complaints came from them. The guardians were the persons complaining ; and they, with others, seemed to imagine that the commissioners had agreed to discover the smallest possible, quantity of food that would keep the body and soul together, and had fixed upon that as their guide in framing the diet tables. (" Hear, hear," from Earl Stanhope.) That seemed to be the under standing of the Noble Earl opposite, but if it were so that was not the fact. The Commissioners framed the diet tables in this manner—they took as example three or four of the workhouses existing under the old system—which had been generally considered to be under the best management, and in which the health of the inhabitants was most successfully kept up—and from thnm they copied their different systems of diet, which they sent to the various unions, leaving the Guardians to se lect from these three or four that system which they might prefer.—( Hear.) All their diet tables, therefore, were sanc tioned by experience—( Hoar)—and this very diet table at Dudley had been adopted by the Assistant Poor Law Com missioner who regulated the unions in that part of the country from the neighbouring workhouse of Sodgeley, with this ex ception—that ho added a little to the quantity of meat.— ( Hear, hear.) That being the state of the case, lie must say that the complaints of the Right Rev. Prelate and of the pc tioners were most unfounded. Captain Parry and his crew at the North Pole consumed less solid food by forty ounces per day than the workhouse dietary prescribed. The Marquis of SALISBURY . must say at once that whenever he could make out a satisfactory case for any restora tion of any rules or regulations, he had ever found on the part of the Commissioners the greatest disposition and anxiety to soften down all the asperities necessarily incident to a mea sure of this nature—( Hear, hear)—and to meet as far as they could, any emergency that might be found to exist. He had ever been, and was still, of opinion that it was infinitely better to leave the power of relaxation in the hands of a Board which was responsible to the country.—( Hear. ) The Earl of WINCHILSE A thought that without any application to the Board of Commissioners the Guardians ought to have the power to grant outdoor relief. And why ? Because the Commissioners must be constantly occupied, and there must be considerable delay before a case could be sub mitted to them in its turn. In cases of urgent necessity he thought that the Guardians should have the power of relaxae tion without application to the Board. Earl STANHOPE said that if the Noble Lord opposite meant that it was their duty to make no exaggerated state ments of the case, he agreed with him ; but if he meant that they ought carefully to choose the mildest and most gentle phrases in speaking of that system of flagrant injustice and intolerable oppression which had been yet inflicted on any country on the face of the earth, anal at the very mention of which their ancestors would burn with horror and indignation in their graves, then he differed entirely from his Noble Friend. The Act of Parliament stated that any regulations which applied to more than ono Union, should be considered general, and must be submitted to the Govern ment; but that provision the Board of Commissioners had evaded by all their regulations, peculiar and distinct. He considered these new workhouses as prisons of the worst de scription ; and the Noble Earl opposite, who considered 114 opinions unfounded, seemed to know nothing of the Bridge• water Union, and ho certainly could not have read the mass of evidence given by Mr. John Bowen, which proved com pletely to the satisfaction of every fair and reasonable mind, that persons had actually perished from disease produced by the quantity of gruel administered. The Noble Earl had triumphantly adduced the case of Captain Parry and his crew at the North Pole ; but the cases where wholly different. The Noble Earl had said that the paupers made no complaints. Why was that ? Were they not in such a state of thraldom and subjection that they felt that certain punishment would follow upon their making any complaint ? His complaint was that these poor persons, convicted of no offence—not even charged with any—should be condemned to worse and more scanty diet than those who were guilty of criminal offences—a doom the Guardians,who wore the mere tools and instruments of the three Commissioners in London, had no power to mitigate. The Duke of RICHMOND observ e d th a t t h e N o bl e Earl had said that the paupers were not permitted to make com plaints, because if they did they would certainly be punished. Did the Noble Lord know of anything of the kind ? Had he visited any of the workhouses in this country ? The Noble Earl must excuse him for saying, without meaning to give any personal offence, that he had cast a gross libel on the great body of the Guardians of this country when he said that they would do anything so unconstitutional and Hear. ) Did the Noble Lord know who the Guardians were ?—( Hear, hear.) They were persons elected by a majority of their fellow-parishioners —persons, many of whom had formerly been the overseers, belonging to the middle class of society— these were the persons whom the Noble Earl charged with punishing the paupers because they complained. But if they wished to punish them could they do so ? The complaint was made before the whole Board ; all listened to the complaint, which was then fairly investigated. That was the result of his experience. He would ask the Noble Earl, and he would appeal also to those with whom the Noble Earl was connected, who were travelling about the country and distributing hand bills, calling on the labouring population of this country not to obey this law—he would appeal to those agents and travel lers, and ask whether they knew of one single instance in which any person making a complaint had on that account ! been even rigorously treated The observations which the Noble Earl had made only proved that he had never acted as a Guardian. The Earl of BRE CK NO C K said a few words which were completely inaudible. Earl STANHOPE certainly had not attended at any meet ings of Guardians. Heaven forbid he should. Dissapproving utterly of the authority of the authority of the Commissioners, he would be no party to any proceedings taking place under that authority. In his own neighbourhood one of the most in telligent and humane Guardians of that Union had been so disgusted with the conduct of the rest of the Board, that he bad refused any longer to act. And ho was aware of the case of a person, who was perishing from disease, as he was in formed by an eminent physician, produced by cold and hunger. Ile had the happiness and honour, for he considered it to be both, to be in frequent, almost in daily communication with a great number of persons who were actively engaged—zealously and patriotically engaged—in resisting and opposing—but by legal and constitutional means—that most diabolical measure. He denied—for had there been such a publication he must have known of it—he denied that any such publication as that alluded to had been issued; and at least none such had come to his knowledge. The Bishop of EXETER said the Noble Lord (Radnor) had thought fit to say, who would have made such a statement that this complaint was grossly unfounded, both on the part of the petitioners and the Right Rev. Prelate who presented it. What had the petitioners done ? They had adopted the Lon don system of diet in place of one ordered by the Commis sioners, which they deemed insufficient. Could any one of common sense say 141 b. of bread, less than alb. of cheese, and one pint of gruel, was sufficient to sustain in a state of robust health persons whose occupation was to work at the forge ? The Noble Earl had also said that no complaint came f ro m the paupers. The reason was then obvious; the diet tables complained of were actually not now used in the work houses; the Guardians had is this instance taken into their own hands the redress of th• evil, and had adopted the diet table sanctioned by the Commissioners themselves fur the London Union. It was said, too, that the Commissioners too': these tables from the neighbouring workhOuse at Sedgely under the old system. He would now beg to state to their Lordships how it happened that that petition had been placed in his hands, He had the honour to be a trustee of the greatest property in that neighbourhood—the property on which those industrious workmen were employed ; and it was to him a great source of pride and gratification that they had such confidence in him, as to request him to bring forward this complaint of those honourable men, who, actuated only by motives of mere humanity, had enabled those paupers to resist that tyranny. From his practical experience of the diet of coal-miners in the north of England—and he presumed the labour of those mines was not greater than of those at Dudley—he would say that nothing could enable a man to go through the labour of that occupation, except living on a very generous diet of the best meat which the markets procbteed.--( Hear, hear.) After a few words from the Earl of RADNOR, The Bishop of EXETER moved for copies of any corre spondence which might have taken place between the Poor law Commissioners and the Guardians of the poor of the Dudley Union respecting the diet of able-bodied paupers, and also for copies of any correspondence between the Guardians of the Dudley Union and the Guardians of the City of Lon don Union or the officer of any parish respecting the diet of able.bodied labourers within that union.—Ordered. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from Great Yarmouth in fayour of Mr. R. Hill's plan of Postage Deform. He was afraid that it would not be found practicable, hut he fujileti bet ;ilajes!'s Government would speedily pro duce some measure fur the reduction of the rates of postage not injurious to the revenue but serviceable to the agricultural And crimmiikial interests. The Noble Duke then moyed for a return, showitig the fi.ies f(nd fares paid on the mail steam prkets at Liverpool and the Sdiariti of till officers employed on that stat:en, Watoirtrten's Compiny Bill was read a third time and passed, on ttld of the Duke of RICHMOND, in the able :c cf the Earl 11-.3ootl,—.Adjourned, • , HOUSR OF COMMONS, ;Lowy 12. The SPEAKER took t 1 elittir at the usual hour. Mr. CAMPBELL, from the East iticVa House, appeared at the bar with returns of compensation awarded to seduced seiWant4 of that Company,—Laid on the table. TRALEE ELECTION. Mr. DItETT appeared at the bttr with the report of the Committee apprintcd to try the merits of the petition presented by Richard O'Connell and Richard Lyle against the return for the borough of Tralec. The Committee reported that John Bateman, Esq , was not duly elected to serve as a Bur gess fur the borough of Tralce—that Maurice O'Connell was duly elected, and ought to have been returned to serve as a Burgess for the borough of Tralee—that neither the petition of Richard O'Connell and Richard Lyle nor the opposition thereto were frivolous or vexatious. The Clerk of t%te Crown was then directed to attend to morrow for the purpose of amending the retura. Sir R. PHILLIPS presented two petitions from Fish guard against the omission of the clause in the Fishguard Har bour Bill, imposing a passing toll. Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE brought up the Report of the Committee on the Hereford Improvement Bill. Mr. HODGSON brought in the Taw Vale Railway Bill, which was read a first time. Sir W. BATESON presented a petition against the Bel fast Water Works Bill. FISHGUARD HARBOUR BILL. Mr. P. '6IOIISON moved the second reading of the Fishguard Harbour Bill. In doing so the House would doubtless expect that he should make some observations on on the subject, in consequence of the situation in which he was placed, namely, as one of her Majest3's Ministers bring ing in a Private Bill on behalf and at the expense of the Government. The circumstances connected with the Fishguard Harbour had already been before the House, and it only became necessary for him to state the grounds on which he felt himself called upon to introduce the Bill. Last year, a Bill had been introduced for the improvement of the Fish guard Harbour, which passed that House apparently with but very little notice. In the autumn of that year his attention was drawn by the Shipowners' Society and other persons to that Bill, which certainly was one of the most extraordinary mea sures he had ever read. There was a clause in that Bill which defined the limits of the proposed harbour, and according to the provisions of that clause, the limits of the harbour were to extend over the limits of the whole coast be tween certain points and Wexford, on the Irish coast. There were two schedules to that Bill, by which it was provided that tolls were to be paid by all vessels corning within the limits of the harbour—those limits being the coast of Ireland on the one hand, and Wales on the other—so that every vessel passing up the Irish Channel would be subject to tolls on every species of goods. He had been informed that it was very probable that under these clauses all goods taken or brought from Wexford would have to pay those tolls. Of course such a Bill had not been understood, or it could not have been entertained for a moment. He took no blame to himself or to the Government for the passing of the Bill— they had no opportunity of examining the private Bills which were brought into the Mouse. lie had received a letter from a gentleman stating the case on behalf of Captain Stevens, the gentleman to whose care the passing of the Bill was en trusted. In it was stated that they had no wish for conceal ment—so far from it, they had sent a copy of the Bill to the Admiralty, to the Customs, and to the Trinity House. These establishments, however, only looked at those clauses which affected their own interests. No copy of the Bill was sent to the establishment over which he had the honour to preside. It was certainly extraordinary that the parties interested in the Bill, who must have known the strong objection which the Government and that House had to passing tolls—it was extraordinary that they should not call the attention of the Government to the subject—the more so as two of the Directors were Members of Parliament at the time. An Hon. Member ( Sir RICHARD PIiILLIPC, we understood) said he was not in Parliament last Session. Mr. P. THOMSON—At all events, the Hon. Member for the county of Pembroke, who was a Director, had a seat in the last Parliament, and he considered that it was his duty to call the attention of the House to the subject. He trusted that the House would give a second reading to the Bill, in order to save the country from a great and unnecessary expense, and in order that the Bill might be considered in Committee. Sir R. PHILLIPS (we believe) said it would be doing great injustice to repeal the passing toll clause after parties had been induced to advance their money on the faith that that clause would be put in operation. He should move the Bill be read that day six months. An HON. NIEMBIER, who rose from the Opposition benches, seconded the amendment. He thought it was rather too much for the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. P. Thomson) to say these Bills ought to be submitted to him at his office before they were passed ; on the contrary, he thought it was the duty of those who received compensation for their services to exert themselves a little, and look after these matters. —( Hear, hear. ) He did not see the Attorney-General in his place, or he should take the opportunity of suggesting that some substitute should be found for an office which he regretted had been abolished amongst the many law reforms that had of late years taken place. The office had certainly a very odd name—it was called " the Attorney-General's Devil."—(Great laughter. ) It was an odd name, but a useful office. It was last held by the late Lord Tcntcrden, and the duty of the office was to examine all Bills brought into Parliament, and to bring the attention of the law officers of the Crown to any thing that might appear objectionable in them. He hoped at least the Bill would be sent to a Committee up stairs, where it might be shown whether those who had embarked their capital in the speculation, on the faith of the Act, would be entitled to compensation or not, in the event of this Bill pass ing into law. Mr. PEASE said there never was a measure affecting the shipping interests of the country se deeply as this, including as it did the whole of the Irish Channel. The toll imposed on vessels passing through the Irish Channel by this Bill was higher than had been enacted in other cases, except that of Bridlington (as we understood), and then it was allowed upon the ground that a vast sum of money had been ex pended upon the harbour. Sir JAMES GRA HAM said he had the trade of this country as much at heart as the Honourable Member opposite; but the circumstances of this Bill were unprecedented, and for the first time he found himself opposing a Cabinet Minister with all the authority of a Government upon a private Biil. The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, (Mr. P. Thomson,) had not cited any precedent in the history of Parliament, of a Bill which had passed through the forms of the House in one Session, constituting and incorporating by Charter, being repealed in a future Session, There was no ground for any pretence of surprise on the part cf the promoters of the Bill. The Bill had been brought in in February—it did not leave the House till the middle of May—a copy of it was sent to the Admiralty, and two clauses were inserted by the Admiralty Solicitor. Two clauses also were inserted by the Solicitor for the Trinity House, and two clauses were inserted by the Solicitor for the Treasury, regulating the provi sions of the Bill, with regard to the tolls of passing ships. But this was not all ; the Bill went up to the other House about the middle of May ; it received several amendmeats there; it was therefore necessary that it should be again brought under the consideration of this House, and it was accordingly sent back in July. So much for the charge of its having been smuggled through Parliament. With respect to the work itself, could it be contended that it was a work of no public importance ? It happened to be the nearest harbour of refuge to the Irish coast ; it had received the warm support of the Irish Members during its progress through the House, and he even understood that a meeting of those gentlemen was held on the subject, at which it was declared to be a work of very great public importance. There was no harbour on the eastern coast of St. George's Channel so well adapted for a place of refuge. So much for the wo-k itself, and now one word with repect to the gross injustice of these proceedings. He believed the law was that the persons who had invested their money in the work under the protection of this Act of Parliament could be compelled by the Directors to pay up their subscription, even after the repeal of these clauses. Now this he must say was an act of the grossest injustice, and he hoped that the House would not allow the Bill of the Right Hon. Gentleman to pass in its present shape. If the Right Hon. Gentleman would, however, consent to withdraw the Bill, he was autho rized on the part of those interested to state, that they were ready to meet the Right Hon. Gentl eman on am i cable grounds, and to go into the consideration of the question of how far it might• be advantageous to pass a Bill, which while it modified the clauses complained of in the former Act, would secure the completion of the work, and secure to the subscribers compensation for what they might suffer by the alteration of the clauses of the former Bill. Mr. Alderman Tit OM SON hoped the House would not adopt the recommendation of the Hon. Baronet. Ile had said that great injustice would be done to those capitalists who had embarked their money in this undertaking. In looking into the Bill he (Mr. T.) found that a second call could not be made in less than six months after the preceding one; con sequently, had all the Company obeyed the call, but 1/. per share could have been subscribed, and the probability was, that after the notice given by the President of the Board of Trade, the powers given to this Corporation by the Act of last Session to be inexpedient and unjust, that these parties would have proceeded to expend the call already paid. The Bill had passed the House through inadvertence ; because, after two Bills of a similar nature relating to Scarborough and Bridlington had been rejected, it could not be supposed that if the attention of the House had been directed to this Bill, that it would have been passed. It had been stated by the Hon. Member for Carmarthen that Fishguard was a har bour. That he (Mr. T.) denied, for it was only a roadstead ; and if the House permitted this Bill to remain on the statute book, it would form a precedent for every insignificant fishing town in the principality of Wales establishing a harbour, and on this principle, that the parties should not be ac countable as to the mode in which the monies col lected should be expended. There was no provision for the reduction of tolls. The question for the consideration of the House .was whether the parties had made out c case to justify the House in allowing them to tax every ship passing up St. George's Channel, and to declare that the port of Weaford formed part and parcel of Fishguard harbour. He admitted that the precedent might be inconvenient, but it was quite impossible for them to allow such an Act to re main upon the statute book. As an individual representing a large shipping community, he felt himself much indebted to the Right Hon. Gentleman for coming forward with the pre sent measure. Sir G. STRICKLAND observed that the principle wry against passim , ' toils, and therefore he would support the B ill. He contended that the Right Hon. Gentleman was fully jus tified in bringing it forward, as the Bill was not a private one, but one of a public nature, which materially affected the inte rvals of tt large class of her Majesty's subjects. Mr. H. RINDE observed that the only argument of the Ii ghtHon, Bnia.;:?et (the Member for Pembroke) against the. Bill was that it r nsun4recedented. Now he (Mr. H.) would instance the case of the o;asgow Lottery Bill, wherein extra vagant powers were conferred upon a - Company, and which tsar subsequently repealed, that would show that the present course was not without precedent. Mr. A. CII A PMAN considered the Aat that had passed during the last session so atrocious, that the House would not hesitate a moment to pass the Right Hcn. Gentleman's Bill for the repeal of the passing toll clause. Mr. O'CONNELL could assure the Right Hon. Baronet opposite, that he had been misled with respect to the state ments made at a meeting of Irish Members relative to the Bill. There had been a meeting with respect to a railroad to join the harbour, but if they had known that tolls were to be inflicted upon ships, they would have risen in a moment, and thrown overboard railroad, harbour, and all. Lord SANDON was decidedly in favour of the Bill, and would give it his warmest support. It was inip oss ible that Parliament knowingly could give its sanction to a Bill in': benefit posing such a heavy tax upon the shipping interest, with out there being the slightest prospect of any to be derived by that interest from the harbour in question, He thought however, that a Committee should b e appointed to enquire into the amount of money which had bee.ll expended upon the faith of the clause in question, la order to that being repaid out of the public funds. I Sir F. TRENCH most cordially supported the Bill. I considered the former Bill, which this was intended to I-el - 4 31,2 1 one of the most unjust and extravagant jobs which ha' ever come before the House, and he took shame to hiu.),i self for not being aware of the unjust provisions of the B" when it was before the House, and called Hon. Member's at tention to it. Lord G. SOMERSET wished to know from the Righ t Hon. Gent. something more of the real merits of the case. He should like to know whether the Government would g. ive its sanction to a case of compensation to those parties bel brought before the House, because they had advanced sunlael money on the faith of that Act of Parliament being Pa ss an d d Upon the answer which he might receive would dei his vote, because he thought justice ought to be done t o those parties. Mr. P. THONI c° SON, did not think that the parties to the .. Bill had done their duty, when they neglected t o send a P . ! , of the Bill to the Board of Trade. He was willing, howe"o'f to admit, that there appeared to be some degree of hardship in the case, and if there was any questeio compensation, that would be discussed in the Com mitte aye to as he thought it would be very difficult to make out at warrant the House to grant money for that purpos e. Flous. After a few words from Sir JAMES GRAHAM the divided, and the numbers were— For the Bill Against it Majority for it —_-161 NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Sir F. TRENCH said he would postpone his mot ion re ll tive to altering the site of the new Houses of Parliament 9 Monday next. CANADA—LORD DURHAM. Lord CHANDOS wished to ask the Noble S e cretarY . f c ° : the Home Department whether Lord Durham was to rceet any salary in his capacity as Governor of Canada? l nbas - Lord J. RUSSELL—When Lord Durham was sador at Petersburgh he received the regular salary atttec,.. to that office; but in his present situation, as Governor tra ns" nada, his expenses will be paid—according to accounts t mitted—upon the footing of a special messenger. Lord CFIANDOS—But no salary. Lord J. RUSSELL—No salary: COUNTY RATES. Mr. MILES wished to ask the Hon. Member for kenny when it was his intention to bring in the Bi ll of wble he had given notice, relative to County. Mr. HUME said that it was impossible, -rates o wing to the Va l li tity of business which was before the House, that he tha t bring in the Bill as soon as he had intended. H e fnnnd d there was only one Bill before it in the list for the 28th, an he should accordingly postpone it to that day. GRENVILLE ACT. Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice that, on the of the Day for going into Committee on the eon:rao; vcrted Elections Bill being read, he would r"" , as om amendment, that the Bill be referred to a Select ti mittee, to consider the operation of the Grenville Act,remna. to suggest remedies for the grievances arising cou rse Mr' V. SMITH, in answer to a question as to the cou. he meant to pursue with respect to the Municipal Bo.andaries Bill, said that he intended to move the second reading' en Wednesday next. Order FACTORIES BILL. Lord ASHLEY said that some time since he had ask ed the Noble Lord at the I_ 'ad of the Home Department, whether it wai the intention of ti., Government to bring in any Bill for the n enforcement of the Factories Regulation Bill. On that ?e -cas!on the Noble Lord had stated that it was the intentio of the Government to introduce such a measure , but fro?' that time to the present no Bill had been introduced; He wished, therefore, to know at what time is the intention of her Majesty's Government to bring Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Bill would b e introdeFer, before Easter, but it was not his intention to disc uss it bew the holidays. it forwarce:a FRENCH DUTIES. ° ra f i th o lPf Mr. O'CONNELL wished to bring under the notice Government a question of considerable interest to 'l e w d of his constituents relative to apprehensions they entert al . T o an intention, on the part of the French Government, ' to b e crease the duties on linen-cloth and linen-yarn. It was . t hem hoped that a fair view of political economy would inuAalthere to retreat from such a system rather than recommence it; was such a notion on the part of the French GovernrnOn'wduty hoped that the Government would conceive it to be th e i n , to lay an additional duty on French silks and French oleros and even to increase the duty on their wines. bi e ct Mr. P. THOMSON said that no sooner was the st i brought under the consideration of the Government th a ' n re - ne lt mediate steps were taken to remonstrance wizle the ' ran ee Government upon it, and he trusted that that remons'' would be productive of some good effect. Lord S A NDON wished to ask the President of the 13;rad.. of Trade whether any peegress had been made with thc;,,,Por nish Government with re ;aid to the discriminating " t- a lity whether a promise had been made that a system o f cqn. gas would be acted on ; and if not, whether the Governm ent determined to act on the principle of yetaliation?—(H ea ken Mr. P. THOMSON said that nq.-ociations had te _ nd place, but they had failed in producing the desired efeet,,_ges. therefore he thought it was right they should act for themse;ye Mr. FLEETWOOD hoped the Government hs d no objection to lay before the House the information thatern been conveyed to cur Ambassador at Paris from the (3°l,jer mcnt of France. He had been lately in Paris, and be u r g 0 , to stood that the Chamber of Commerce, instead of assent' P e "',o the proposition of the Minister of Commerce for the in r , be ir of the duty on linen, had declared they could not give sanction to such a proposition without further information!, EDINBURGH POST-OFFICE—MR. PRIMROSI!"a Mr. HUME then rose for the purpose of bringing for wBr the motion of which he had given notice, relative to the ai: pointment of Mr. Primrose, as cashier, in the Edinburgh 119 4. office. It appebred that a portion of the revenues of the r i ; office, were applied to the payment of its officers, t-$ H 0 ~. the appointment of these persons never ca me un der the e o n sideration of the House. llonourable Members would be ° I „ .. ; prised prised to learn that there was deducted from the revenue 11 , 4 " less than seven millions of the amount collected from the ta i :, which was never paid into the Exchequer. Nothing was 1 11 ,. ° ` t important to the welfare of an establishment than t"4 the officers should be secured in the advantages natura ll y °i , regularly arising from promAion within that establishm ent, f an encouragement to attention and a recompense for fait.;'„,, services. From the returns placed in the hands of flyer Members that day it would seem that the a' 79 . vi o a relative to the appointment of Mr. Primrose' r ,, that it had taken place under the authority of the Postm aste h, General. He (Mr. Hume) had previously inquired of L, Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the cretary for the Home Department, neither of whorl" ' a heard anything of the appointment. He (Mr. Hume) a n d sidered that appointment a violation of the rales regulations which had been framed by the p o stmaster ral for the management of that establishment. He fo und the same return that the first clerk in the Edinburgh ,_ 17 °, 5 ; office had been 26 years in the service, that the second claw " - t been fifteen years and a half, and the third clerk with a J a ri la - r t i only of 701. per annum. Mr. Primrose had been appoint e L' l n a e the office of cashier, with a salary of 4001. per year, w't"" d having ever served a year in the establishment. He fo'-“ ) ,, that his clerk, Mr. George Young, who had served norm years, had only 1201. per annum; and Mr. Mason, th' i. co untant, after thirty years' s erv i ce , h a d on l y 2001. per anal in certain regulations had be en adopted by the Government " 1831 for the improve men t of this department, and the 113 " port was signed by hi s G race t h e D u k e o f Ri c hmond, th e° ,, Postmaster-General. That report established wha t /1 , 11 ; thought to be a fi rm scale of promotion as to lii" officers of th e esta bli s h ment. B ut, it stated that the pra" cipal feature in the new establishment was the the money, of an officer for the receipt of the P'"" l , - ,, money, which had become necessary in consequence of t "" abolition of the office of Deputy Postmaster General, Y"h° pyri also Cashier ; the salary was to be 4001. a year : and he to be allow e d an ass i stant, w i t h a salary sufficient to secure that services of a respecta bl e person ; an d secur i ty t o the gro° u 2; ‘ , of 500/. was t o b e required. It was duo to his Grace th e D u k e of Richmond to say that he steadily adhered to the regulations which he laid down. In an o th er part o f his evidence taken on the Ist of March ho stated that he had made an arrangement by which the ale. of dep u t y i n t h e country, w h en it became vacant, should not be filled out of the office, but that those time only shou ld be appointed to it who h a d b ee n a l ong ti me in the dePortr" nt, or who were entitled to compensation. The object of t is his arrangement was to insure not on ly e c o nomy in the pu expendit ure , b u t i ncrease d e ffi c i ency i n the departmen t. Its obvious effect would be, the holding out a strong in ducement to g oo d con d uc t, and a reward to long an d me ritorious servi c es.---( Hear, hear.) He then went on to state, that many a ppli ca ti ons h a d b een ma d e t o him by persons out